Celebrating Language Learning in the UK

Monthly Archives: March 2013

Anyone interested in Up skilling for German? Our sponsors have a course they would like to run.

5 day up-skilling course for primary teachers of German from 8th to 12th July 2013 in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, near London (place tbc.) The course would offer • language sessions • methodology workshops • intercultural information about Germany • and an introduction to teaching materials available

Costs: £ 130 (sessions, meals, materials included) More details will be provided at a later stage. Please let us know if you were interested in the course by replying to roma.schultz@london.goethe.org

Well Done, Maindee Primary school everyone will know how special you are now in South Wales. Some great ideas to inspire those wishing to enter next Year.

ARABIC, Czech, and Turkish are just some of the languages you might expect to hear spoken at an international airport.

But things aren’t too different in the classrooms of one Newport primary school, where pupils speak a total of twenty different languages.

Of the 411 pupils at Maindee Primary School, at least 85 per cent are from an ethnic background and speak English as a supplementary language.

But despite it not being their first language, youngsters are excelling, and the school has been recognised at a UK-wide awards ceremony.

The school impressed judges at the Primary Language Classroom Awards, coming top in the English as an Additional Language award.

Berna Pullen, of the Gwent Education Multi-Ethnic Service, nominated the school because she wanted to share the things they do well. She and 14 other GEMS staff provide regular support in the classroom to help pupils integrate.

Youngsters who are new to English are taught alongside all other pupils, as this is the best way for them to learn she said, but they will also get additional help if needed.

Teachers use a number of interactive tools such as iPads, and have developed an application to help teach pupils newwords and phrases.

One they use regularly shows videos of pupils speaking in their native tongue describing regular classroom tasks, such as writing the date or topic heading, which they can play to translate the words they routinely hear in class.

Teachers also encourage students to create comic strips in their first language and them help them translate them.

The school also celebrates all religious celebrations, such as the Islamic festival of Eid, to ensure all youngsters are aware of each of the many cultures they represent.

This year, it will add a newone to its calendar when it holds a Romany celebration in the summer.

Head of Key Stage 2 Selina Wells said the children were ecstatic to have won.

She said: “We took to the school committee to the ceremony at the NEC in Birmingham and when they read out the winner, the children just erupted.

“We are really very proud. It shows that the commitment from all the staff at Maindee is paying off and the children appreciate it.”

I opened my email box and read this lovely thank you. I just have to say thank you for such lovely words but they are the ones doing a great job so deserved to be honoured in this way.

Congratulations everyone and especially Patricia for sending in her application during the Christmas holiday. If I am not mistaken it came in just after Christmas but before New Year.

What a memorable occasion the Primary Languages Classroom Awards ceremony was! Thank you so much for all the hard work and dedication from all the team for organising and promoting this event and to the sponsors for their generous prizes. Primary Modern Languages is a highly specialised, but often neglected, field of expertise so it is wonderful to celebrate achievement in this area and place it firmly in the spotlight. I thank all the pupils of the Glasgow Academy for wholeheartedly embracing this area of the curriculum and helping me turn my ideas into a very enjoyable reality.

Brilliant to see this news article about the EAL Winners Maindee Primary.

Mrs Wadsworth said for more than 80 per cent of the pupils English is their second language and praised their ability to master it so quickly.

Head teacher for the past eight years, Carol Wadsworth, says the school celebrates many occasions on the calendar, most recently pancake day, as well as religious days and holding an eisteddfod.

When asked what she hopes her pupils will take with them when they leave, Mrs Wadsworth says: “I hope that we equip them with a set of skills in literacy, numeracy and personal and social skills in order to live in this multi-cultural world that lies in front of them.”

“Our vision is learning and living in harmony and our success is framed around that.”

With less than two weeks to go finalists of the awards are getting excited. Spilsby Primary School in Lincoln is one of the schools on the shortlist and has shared their excitement with their community.

Their story is below.

We wish them Good Luck.

SPILSBY Primary School is waiting in anticipation after being shortlisted for a national language award.

The UK’s largest educational resources show is hosting the fifth annual national Primary Language Classroom Awards (PLCA) at Birmingham NEC where Spilsby Primary School will be battling it out against 14 other schools to win one of the five awards.

Spilsby Primary School Finalists 2013

Headteacher Louise Davidson said: “Spilsby Primary School is thrilled at having being shortlisted by the PLCA for our work across the school in learning French and specifically in year six.

“French specialist Louisa Roberts has been instrumental in developing immersive activities to encourage children to engage with both the French culture and the learning of the language over the past five years but she and the children have never been nominated for an award before.”

A panel of professional educational and language experts, including headteachers and classroom teachers will independently judge the awards.

Each category winner will receive at least £500 of tailored resources from sponsors to support their language learning into 2013 and beyond.

Director of the Primary Language Classroom Awards Liz Foxwell said: “It gives us great pleasure to be hosting our fifth annual PLCA presentation at the Education Show 2013.

“The exceptional work and dedication of teachers throughout the UK in the promotion of languages must not go unnoticed. Teachers who show a love of languages and belief in their student’s ability need to be celebrated, as do staff teaching students with varied English language proficiency which can be a daunting task.

“We look forward to celebrating the achievements of this year’s winners who are great ambassadors of best practice.”